Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain described the atmosphere in Anfield for Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat of Manchester City as ‘the best I’ve ever played in’.
Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has thanked Liverpool fans for generating a “horrible” atmosphere for Manchester City on Wednesday and believes it disturbed Pep Guardiola’s players during the Champions League quarter-final.

Liverpool have been charged by Uefa after the City team coach was damaged outside Anfield before kick‑off but it was the noise inside that Oxlade-Chamberlain has cited as having the greater influence on the first leg.

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City’s manager and players were dismissive of the effect of the Anfield atmosphere on their performance but that was contradicted by the England international, who admitted he knew from experience with Arsenal how it can have a major influence.

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“It was an amazing atmosphere, the best I’ve ever played in,” said Oxlade-Chamberlain, who struck a superb second goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory. “You have to give credit to the fans because it is never nice coming to Anfield and hearing that crowd – I’ve been on the other end of it and it is not easy.

“The fans play a massive part. I’ve never witnessed anything like that. Coming into the stadium for a game which was not a final it almost set it up to be like a final. It definitely got us going and you could see that. If you are the away team and the crowd gets going like that it is horrible.

“City are an amazing football team but they are only human and you put anyone in a pressure environment in an atmosphere like that maybe it can disturb them. I wouldn’t say to the extent it did that because they still played some good stuff and dominated the ball but it definitely played a part in the first half. It got us going and it would probably shake anyone up so you have to give fans credit for that.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain ranked his long-range strike past Ederson among the finest goals of his career but surprisingly, given his contribution in central midfield, admitted he was dissatisfied with his overall performance.

The 24-year-old said: “The manager has been pushing me all season and shouting at me for not taking the game by the scruff of the neck and providing those kinds of moments, being the one shooting and making the difference. Slowly it is starting to pay off and it helps me to create moments like that.

“It definitely shows why I wanted to come here and I want to keep improving. My game I wasn’t too happy with. I could have been better on the ball so I was a bit disappointed with that and there are areas I need to improve on and can improve on.

“There were a few runs I did in the first half where I broke the line and it was just the last man I didn’t manage to get past or didn’t get the shot off and it is those moments where I could have had a second goal or set someone up that I can work on. But I was really happy for the team and tried to work as hard as I can to help the boys to defend.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain insisted there was no prospect of complacency creeping into Liverpool’s performance in the second leg. He also claimed Jürgen Klopp’s team were ideally suited to the Champions League and the latter stages in particular.

“We definitely have qualities that are suited to this competition,” he said. “The further you go the better the teams you play against and you don’t get many opportunities so you have to be clinical. The three boys up front this season have stood out in how clinical they have been. Going forward they are always a threat on the break and that is good for us because there will be times like against City when we don’t see a lot of the ball and when we can break that is when we can hurt teams. You’ve seen teams go far in this competition doing that.”